One thing that still baffles me is people who put their cars in park at every red light. It’s either you catch them red handed when inside their car.. or you see the reverse lights of their cars flash for like a second when moving from “park” to “drive“.

Some believe it’s the best thing to do.. thinking “park” saves fuel compared to “neutral“. But I beg to disagree. I’d like to know your opinion about this.

I’ll also like to take you through the disadvantages I perceive to be associated with this driving habit..

1)
Constantly shifting into park may cause excess wear on the parking pawl of your vehicle.. causing the gear to get stuck. The parking pawl is a metal pin that locks up the transmission in park.

2)
The gear lever bushing of your vehicle is also at risk when you shift unnecessarily.

3)
If another car hits yours from behind, the parking pawl may get damaged.. and your car will just roll into the opposite traffic. Brakes provide much more stopping potential.

4)
Another big danger is, it may not allow you to safely escape in the event of an emergency. I am sure you know the gear gets hooked in park especially on a slope. Sometimes a split second can save you the difference between getting away from a threat and being a victim.

5)
Someone even mistakenly put the car in reverse instead of drive.. the rest was history.

I am sure you agree with me that this driving habit is not that safe and efficient after all. It even causes a little more delay when the light turns green.

Finally, it is understandable that you may be too tired to hold on to the brakes.. or your car may have too much horsepower for the brakes. In this case, shifting to neutral and applying your parking brake may be a better option.

Do you do this? Why?

Kindly like and share..

https://autojosh.com/cars-in-park/

Cc
Lalasticlala
Mynd44
Ishilove
Marpol
Semid4lyfe
Obinoscopy

Another big danger is, it may not allow you to safely escape in the event of an emergency. I am sure you know the gear gets hooked in park especially on a slope. Sometimes a split second can save you the difference between getting away from a threat and being a victim.

This is the only reason I can relate with.
The others no concern me.

Someone even mistakenly put the car in reverse instead of drive.. the rest was history.

I guess this is where manual has some advantage.

I use neutral though. .

Nice write up. Welldone Ops

Team manual.

autojosh:
One thing that still baffles me is people who put their cars in park at every red light. It’s either you catch them red handed when inside their car.. or you see the reverse lights of their cars flash for like a second when moving from “park” to “drive“.

Some believe it’s the best thing to do.. thinking “park” saves fuel compared to “neutral“. But I beg to disagree. I’d like to know your opinion about this.

I’ll also like to take you through the disadvantages I perceive to be associated with this driving habit..

1)
Constantly shifting into park may cause excess wear on the parking pawl of your vehicle.. causing the gear to get stuck. The parking pawl is a metal pin that locks up the transmission in park.

2)
The gear lever bushing of your vehicle is also at risk when you shift unnecessarily.

3)
If another car hits yours from behind, the parking pawl may get damaged.. and your car will just roll into the opposite traffic. Brakes provide much more stopping potential.

4)
Another big danger is, it may not allow you to safely escape in the event of an emergency. I am sure you know the gear gets hooked in park especially on a slope. Sometimes a split second can save you the difference between getting away from a threat and being a victim.

5)
Someone even mistakenly put the car in reverse instead of drive.. the rest was history.

I am sure you agree with me that this driving habit is not that safe and efficient after all. It even causes a little more delay when the light turns green.

Finally, it is understandable that you may be too tired to hold on to the brakes.. or your car may have too much horsepower for the brakes. In this case, shifting to neutral and applying your parking brake may be a better option.

Do you do this? Why?

Kindly like and share..

https://autojosh.com/cars-in-park/

Cc
Lalasticlala
Mynd44
Ishilove
Marpol
Semid4lyfe
Obinoscopy

In traffic you are actually meant to put your car on park OR nutral and engage the hand brake
In the UK is actually a traffic offence for your brake light to be lit for certain period of time I can't tell the length of time.if you are driving a manual car you are meant to go nutral and put on the hand brake.
Taping your brake for a period of time in same position increase heat in the brake fluid system .
The fluid in ur torque converter heats up as well.

nice

with Benz and its 'hand stick gear', u will neva see d reverse light flash when pulling out from park to drive.


nice post. especially on escaping during emergency.

I use neutral

There are no disadvantages in it, that is the normal and appropriate thing to do. The park on your gear is not meant for decoration. You ease your engine and you don't accidentally accelerate when you are not meant to even when it's on neutral.

Thread for car owners. Wetin concern okada with traffic light

.

I just match break till it turns green....

Cool

Trash.

Even if you put your automatic transmission on 'reverse' instead of 'park', the car will never start when u try to kick-start it.

The only good point is the eventuality of emergency.

All others, trash!

If you think the park pawl will have problem, what abt the rest of the shifts that u use regularly?

Ironically, when u have problems with your gear, it is not the park pawl that has the wahala, na the rest...

Even in manual transmission, you will hear say the car no dey enter reverse or gear three again...

I don't put my car in park when stopping at red light, because of convinence.

Still, very useful info OP.

Thanks op

PaperLace:


This is the only reason I can relate with.
The others no concern me.


I guess this is where manual has some advantage.

How does manual have some advantage here, as you can still put it in reverse?

Don't know why I always feel comfortable using park. Even if I want talk, Nah Park I go use.

erico2k2:

In traffic you are actually meant to put your car on park OR nutral and engage the hand brake
In the UK is actually a traffic offence for your brake light to be lit for certain period of time I can't tell the length of time.if you are driving a manual car you are meant to go nutral and put on the hand brake.
Taping your brake for a period of time in same position increase heat in the brake fluid system .
The fluid in ur torque converter heats up as well.

Wow, did not know that. Thanks for the info.

I'm used to putting cars in neutral at red lights that I now find it hard to stop. This is because I had a manual BMW for a long time. I heard that act is not good for the transmission, don't know if its true or not. I haven't seen such thing in any of my car manuals.

I don't think it's % accurate

I usually match brake except i'm gonna be waiting for a longer time then i park. I've not noticed any of the disadvantages.

ephi123:


How does manual have some advantage here, as you can still put it in reverse?

I believe the probability of going to reverse from neutral in a manual car is pretty low. One has to be very absent minded to do that...
Unlike auto where both (R and D) are just a step away from neutral.

Far more people have committed that 'offence' in an auto car.

well, I dont have a specific habit regarding this. I either leave it in drive or put it in park.

erico2k2:

In traffic you are actually meant to put your car on park OR nutral and engage the hand brake
In the UK is actually a traffic offence for your brake light to be lit for certain period of time I can't tell the length of time.if you are driving a manual car you are meant to go nutral and put on the hand brake.
Taping your brake for a period of time in same position increase heat in the brake fluid system .
The fluid in ur torque converter heats up as well.

Huge point. Thanks

If you put your car in park while in traffic, engage the hand brake otherwise, any slightest bump from any other vehicle/keke can damage your gear system without you even knowing. Neutral is always the best position though.

erico2k2:

In traffic you are actually meant to put your car on park OR nutral and engage the hand brake
In the UK is actually a traffic offence for your brake light to be lit for certain period of time I can't tell the length of time.if you are driving a manual car you are meant to go nutral and put on the hand brake.
Taping your brake for a period of time in same position increase heat in the brake fluid system .
The fluid in ur torque converter heats up as well.

Wow. Never knew this, thanks.

I would repent from today... it's the traffic situation in Nigeria that's making us do like this. All this our follow-me-bumper-to-bumper kinda traffic, one gats be ready to move.

Why take the shift stick all the way to P(park) when you can easily slide in N (Neutral) at the traffic light with your foot on the brakes

I'm observing I would like to know also.

@op, pls let me know if am wrong.
One very gud reason I think its NT the best foR a car when put on park mode in slopE, is that u re suspending the weight of the car on the gear instead of the brakes.
I think this subjects the gear to undue wear.